‘Following the Dragon’ special exhibition
December 24 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
‘Following the Dragon’ special exhibition at Jamestown Settlement Museum to explore the journey of Chinese Ming porcelain to 17th-century Jamestown
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation Collaborative Exhibition Opening November 15
From palaces to palisades, take a journey of discovery in “Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown,” a special exhibition at Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia history and culture, debuting on November 15, through July 12, 2026.
Presented by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in partnership with the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, the joint special exhibition of Chinese Ming porcelain uncovered archaeologically at James Fort reveals unexpected cultural connections that link colonial Virginia with imperial China, spanning continents and empires.
Featuring Chinese porcelain uncovered during excavations of the 1607-1625 James Fort at Historic Jamestowne, the exhibition examines who may have owned these evocative pieces, how they may have been acquired, and offers fresh insights into the social life of the early 17th-century Virginia elite.
More than 100 Chinese Ming porcelain vessels have been discovered during archaeological excavations of the 1607-1625 fort at Historic Jamestowne. For this exhibition, a total of 31 vessels recovered during Jamestown Rediscovery excavations will be paired with intact parallels from English, Dutch and American museums, as well as private collections from across the globe.
The early Jamestown colony has long been overshadowed by historical accounts depicting a muddy, military settlement rife with bouts of starvation, disease and high mortality. Archaeological discoveries of Chinese porcelain vessels by Jamestown Rediscovery in James Fort provide new insights to life in 17th-century Virginia. The exhibition explores how this struggling isolated outpost would house the most exquisite and expensive ceramic of its time.
Chinese porcelain, regarded as “white gold,” was seen as an exotic ware from the East that was difficult to obtain, making it a rarity that was usually associated in England with royal and upper-class households. As early Jamestown colonists sought to display their global awareness and social status, Ming porcelain became prized possessions among Virginia’s elite.
UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO PROMINENT HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONS
The joint exhibition was developed in collaboration between Jamestown Settlement Senior Curator Beverly “Bly” Straube, Ph.D., FSA, and Jamestown Rediscovery Senior Curator Merry Outlaw, and was inspired by the remarkable discoveries of….more info: jyfmuseums.org/following-the-dragon.
